Songs of life

Recently I was reading a scrapbook magazine and they suggested making a scrapbook with the songs that have defined certain times of your life. Since I don't have time to do that, I thought I might just make a list here.

"You're So Vain"-- two and a half years old when this was playing on the radio. We were driving cross country, moving from New Mexico to Charlottesville. I didn't know what the song meant, but I sang it all the time.

"Beat It" -- in addition to other early Michael Jackson songs, I remember running around the gym in elementary school to this song.

"Walk Like An Egyptian"-- performed in 5th grade chorus concert for Grandparents' day, along with "The Rose"; I had an asthma attack before the performance because I was supposed to sing a solo and Heather-Rose told the substitute music teacher that she had sung the solo at the last concert so she should get to sing it. The drama of a fifth grade fat girl who has trouble breathing could not persuade the sub otherwise.

"Louis--Louis"-- though not really from my generation, this was the signature song of my middle school jazz band, for which I was the keyboard player all three years

"Criss-Cross'll Make You Jump"-- eighth grade field trips were not complete without hearing this song yelled by the "cool" kids in the back of the bus; we even had a "Criss-Cross" day for spirit week where everyone wore their clothes backwards to school

"Hounds of Spring", "Where never Lark nor Eagle Flew" and "The Ascension"-- favorite symphonic band compostions I played and soloed in during my stint as concert mistress in high school band

"Peaches"-- you remember that annoying song: "millions of peaches, peaches for me, millions of peahes, peaches for free"; for a time it seemed that this song was playing on my radio every morning when I woke up, causing it to be in my head for at least two thirds of the day

"Prelude in C# minor" (Rachmaninoff)-- my senior recital piece after ten years of private piano lessons with Ann May, the best piano teacher in the world

"Kate" (Ben Folds Five)-- obviously a favorite, I annoyed my freshman roommate in college by playing it over and over and over again

"Sleep" (BNL)-- put on my mix tape my roommate made me when I bought my car; it was one of my dad's favorites, and ironically the first song I heard the morning he died

"Wicked: The Musical" -- can not choose just one song; still haven't seen the show, but hope to sometime this year

So Many Ideas, So Little Time

Why is it that I love writing prompts, but never take the time to actually write from them? At the beginning of the year I tried to do one writing exercise a day, but that went the way of New Year's Resolutions and I now find myself longing to write, but too busy to even eat. I guess at least that might help with another of my resolutions. Will I ever have time to just write whatever I want? Will I be able to do the thing that so many have said I'm good at and that I should pursue? Is writing what I'm really supposed to do, or should I pick up another creative outlet and put writing aside? How do I use my creative energies when I don't have time to let them go? Will I be able to stop my addiction of buying creative writing helps or will they continue to congregate on my bookshelves, reminding me of my drowned ambitions? Hopefully this blog will let me release some of what I need to let go.